Lucky Michigan woman wins $1m, plans to buy new mattress

An incredibly lucky woman will be looking forward to a good night’s sleep after winning a life-changing prize. That’s the story of an 85-year-old Antrim County woman who won one of the top prizes from the Michigan Lottery’s Golden Key instant game.

The fortunate woman’s winning ticket was purchased at the Family Fare on 240 South Lake Street in East Jordan. Considering that the lucky player decided to remain anonymous, it is likely that her identity will forever remain a mystery. Still, in an interview for the Michigan Lottery, the woman spoke with excitement about the life-changing $1m top prize she won from the Golden Key scratch-off ticket. The 85-year-old woman revealed that buying scratch-off tickets once a week has been a part of her routine for years. The $1 million win was the first thing I scratched off on the ticket. I’m a pretty even-keeled person, so I didn’t have a crazy reaction and stayed calm for the most part, the lucky woman said, recalling the moment she won the sweet $1m top prize. The Antrim County resident added that her daughter was next to her when she won the top prize and admitted it was fun to share this thrilling moment. Visiting the Michigan Lottery to claim her big win, the lucky woman admitted that she has a specific plan about what would be the first thing she would buy. Laughing, the 85-year-old woman said: Honestly, the only big plans I have for now is to buy a new mattress. Besides a new mattress, the fortunate winner said she wants to donate to charity and save the rest of the prize. Choosing to receive a one-time lump sum instead of annuity payments for the full prize, the winner’s bank account increased by $693,000.

It was in September 2025 when the Michigan Lottery introduced the Golden Key scratch-off ticket. Each ticket costs $10.00 and grants players a chance to win a prize between $10 and $1m. After the top prize win, two more prizes of $1m remain in play from the popular instant game. On the other hand, a tier two prize pays $10,000 and out of 21 such prizes, 16 remain in play. Players who win a tier three prize will receive $2,000 and there are 650 such prizes remaining. The overall odds of winning any prize from the Golden Key scratch-off ticket are 1 in 3.86.